Improvement in apparatus for distilling hydrocarbon oils



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE SAMUEL VAN SYOKEL, or TITUSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR DIST-ILLING HVDRYOCARYBONBIOIILS,

. Specification forming p art'of Letters Patent No. 154,712, dated September 8, 1874: application filed p March 3, 1874.

To all whom it mayconce'm:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL VAN SYcKEL, of Titusville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Distillation of Hydrocarbon Oils; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wli h forms a part of this specification, and w ch is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus bywhich my invention is utilized.

My invention consists in an improvement in the construction of an improved apparatus to be used in distilling hydrocarbon oils by what is commonly known as continuous distilbe used as fuel. Second, the complctevaporization of the,'oil by bringing it into contact with a continuously increasing degree of heat, whereby the oil, which gradually decreases in gravity, meets the degree of heat necessary to vaporize it, such degree of heat being regulated so as to be just sufficient to vaporize the desired portion of the oil at each successive step of the process. The oil is so distributed .and divided that the heat is caused to act on avery small portion at a time, so that every portion is vaporized, the heat, as before said, being only sufficient for that purpose, and not intense enough to burn it and form tar and gas, as by theold process." Third,the condensing the oil-vapors thus produced in a separate condenser of the series, and the elimination of any gases liable to be carried over in the final distillate. v v

The advantagesof the use of this apparatus consist, first, in the continuous operation upon a small quantity of oil at one time, which decreases greatlythe risk attendant upon theof heat, such degree being regulated to con. respond with the gravities of the oil upon which it operates, thereby preventing the burning of the oil, and the consequent deposit of tarry residuum, as is the case in the old process.

By-my improved apparatus I gain an, increased product of refined'oil of about ten per cent., and secure about five per cent. of gaso line by the condensation of the light combustible matters which are at first driven off.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I' will describe the ap.- paratus by which it is utilized. a

I arrange side by side, or in any conven ent.

whereby communication is made between the chambers a and a The stills A and G are more properly heatin g-stills, and are auxiliary to the stills proper, B and D. "Their function, aside from being members of the series in which the oil is caused to be acted upon by a gradually-increased heat, is to heat the oil suf ficiently before it enters the stills B and D to prevent it from checking or stopping the pro cess of vaporization therein. Connected with the heating-chamber of the still D is apipe, b, which is designed to supply steam for heating purposes to the chamber aaround the out-' side of the tubes therein; This chamber a is connected with similar chambers a in the stills O, B, and A',.by means of pipes b b and 12 Each of the chambers Ta is supplied with a cock, 0, to let off the water of condensation in case any should be collected from the steam. An oil-supply pipe, (1, opens into the bottom of the first still, A. This still communicates with the still B by the pipe al the still B with the still O by the pipe 0?, and the still 0 with the still D by the pipe 11 Extending from the stillpipes forconducting the light explosive fproi' ducts from the first two stills, A and,B'.

From the top chamber of the still B the light explosive products are led by a pipe, 0 to acondenser, F, which is fitted with a jacket or shell, F for the purpose of applying a freezin g-mixture in warm weather to condense the light explosive products. In cold weather such application of freezing-mixture is not necessary. The vapors pass to the lower end of the condenser F; thence up through the tubes to the top a; thence by the pipe '6 to a second condenser, E, by which time allthe condensable portions of the vapors have been condensed. The balance of the vapors which are not condensed pass off through the pipec and are used as fuel. The pipe 0 is fitted with a steam-jet, 0 to facilitate the drawing 0d of the residuary gases. The light explosive products vaporize first at a low degree of heat, and such degree is applied to the oil in the stills A and B. The lowest heat is applied to the still A, it being farthest from the initial heating-point. This heat increases in each still as such initial point is approached, being greater in the still B than in the still A. The oil from the still A. passes by the pipe (I into the still B, where itmeets an increased degree of heat, and is brought to fire-test'by the vaporization of all its light vapors. The entire balance, when distilled, all goes into refined oil, with the exception of the small portion of earthy matter which is found in the crude oil. The oil then passes from the still B to the still 0 by the pipe d Here it meets an increased degree of heat, and a large portion is vaporized, such vapor passing through the pipe f to the still D. The balance of the oil from the still (3 passes through the pipe d into the still D, where it again meets an increased degree of heat, such degree being sufficient for its'complete vaporization. The oilvapors go over into the condenser H and are condensed. The degree of heat which is applied to each still is regulated so as to be just sufiicient to produce the vaporization of the desired portion of the oil without affecting or coloring that which remains, and in this way I obviate the great objection to the old process, in which a great degree of heat is applied, such degree being unnecessary for the vaporization, and positively injurious to certain portions of the oil.

In order to efl'ect the vaporization of each portion of the oil at about the heat that is necessary for such vaporization alone, the heat must be applied very intimately to the oil--that is to say, it must be brought uniformly in contact with every portion. This is accomplished by means of the tubes through which the oil passes in the chambers a, the heat circulating around such tubes. These tubes are of any desired diameter, but preferably small, sothat the heat shall act upon a small portion at onetime. The vapor from the still D passes through the tube 9, in which, for the purpose of carrying them over quickly, I have inserted a steam-jet, g. A suctionpump may be used for this purpose. When they pass into the condenser H, the vapors are met by a spray of water from the pipe h a Instead of applying steam heat in the manner described, by means of the connection-pipe b, hot air may be used, such air being passed through suitable connection-pipes from one still to the other, in a manner similar to that just described in reference to steam. If air is used, it maybe forced in by a fan.

, A greater number of stills than are shown may be included in the series, or, in some cases, a less number may be sufficient.

The form and position of the stills and of the condensers may be varied .at pleasure, while the connection-pipes, &c., are varied to suit the position and form of the stills and condensers.

It is my purpose to superheat the steam to a sufiicient degree tovaporize the oil, and then to make use of it, after having passed thestills, as motive power for operating the machinery.

The water which is supplied to the condensers for the purpose of condensing the light explosive products is admitted at the point where greatest cold is required, viz., into the condenser F by the pipe m. It then passes forward by a pipe, ml, to the condenser E, and is finally discharged through the pipe m.

By the apparatus heretofore in use, the yield of oil from the crude is about seventyfive per cent. of refined oil, and about fifteen per cent. of benzine, leaving about ten per cent. for shrinkage.

By my apparatus I produce about eightyfive per cent. of refined, five per cent. of gasoline, (a product of much greater value than the fifteen per cent. of benzine above mentioned,) and a very large amount of gas for fuel.

I am aware that hydrocarbons have been subjected to gradually-increasing temperatures in the process known as continuous distillation, and thereby broken up into grades of varying gravities, and that hydrocarbon vapors have been condensed by injecting water jets or spray into said vapors, and that these steps have been conducted in separate processes and combinedly. Such subjectmatter I do not claim; but

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The.process herein described for distillmg hydrocarbons, consisting in gradually equalizing the temperature of the oil between the several stills of the series in the process of continuous distillation, as set forth.

2. In combination with the primary still B,

a supplemental or heating still connecting therewith by a'trausfer-pipe and vapor-pipe, substantially as specified.

3. In eombinationwith the primary still or stills and the final still or stills,intermediate still or stills G, having transfer and vapor connections for the purpose of equalizing the temperature of the liquid between the primary and final stills, substantially as and for the purpose specified. A n 1 In testimony whereof I, the said SAMUEL VAN SYOKEL, have hereunto set my hand.

SAMUEL VANSYOKEL. Witnesses:

1T. BVKERRF JAMES I. KAY. 

